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Syllabus.State Society Relations

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State and Society (PS4224)

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National University of Singapore

Academic year: 2019/2020

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PS4224: State and Society: State-Society Relations

Semester II, AY 2019-

Seminar meets on Tuesdays from 3pm to 6pm in AS1-0302.

Instructor: Kevin McGahan Office: AS1, level 4, room 34 Office Hours: By appointment Email: polkm@nus.edu

Description: This honours-level seminar critically examines historical and theoretical issues of state-society relations, such as state-formation processes, ethnic and national identities, social movements, patron-client relations, and democratic-authoritarian transitions. This module also interrogates a range of contemporary topics, including migration, security, human rights, environmental degradation and social media. The class, furthermore, debates these issues from various approaches that highlight different actors – including both states and non-state actors. While the class is global in scope, it focuses on state-society relations in particular areas of the world by employing comparisons. Empirically speaking, many class materials focus on countries in Asia, broadly defined (e., China, India, Thailand, Burma/ Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Singapore). Nevertheless, students are encouraged to compare and contrast these cases with historical ones or others outside the Asian context, as appropriate.

Goals: By taking this seminar, students will learn and apply basic theories and concepts to examine state-society relations in both a local and global context. Such concepts notably include the nation/state, patron-client relations, ethnic, religious, and national identities, and social movements. In addition, students will leave this module with critical thinking and communication skills, as the class will challenge and discuss various assumptions about different state-society relations around the world. Lastly, students will reflect upon and apply their insights about the importance of such relations for both personal and academic development.

Requirements and Evaluation: This class is based on an interactive process between the instructor and students. As such, seminars are largely focused on student-driven discussions. To facilitate this process and ensure active student participation, I will expect students to have completed the required readings before the seminar meets.

Also, please note that if you have any documented disability, contact me immediately. I am happy to accommodate students in maintaining an appropriate learning environment.

Participation Students will be graded on their participation, which is premised on regular attendance and interactions during seminars as well as weekly discussion questions. For their weekly questions, at least 24 hours before each seminar meets, students must post on LumiNUS (under the student submission folder) at least one question that critically engages central concepts and arguments

found in the readings. In short, this weekly exercise is an opportunity to engage with the class materials and current issues; these are not summaries. I will post a sample of discussion questions on LumiNUS to serve as a guide.

Oral Presentation Students will form small groups (around 2-3 people per group). Each group will be assigned to present on one of the week’s readings to the class to spur discussion. Importantly, these presentations are not designed to be summaries. While there is a fair amount of latitude in the format for presentations, each student is encouraged to speak critically on key concepts or themes for about 10 minutes; slides can be used but are not necessary. I encourage students to share their presentations by sending me an email with their presentations to post on LumiNUS.
Quiz Students will take a short quiz in class on seminar materials during the middle of the semester.
Short Paper In addition to participation, students will be evaluated on a short research paper (~1500 words, double spaced, 12 point font for each paper). Students will generate a research question and topic that reflects an empirical puzzle, which broadly relates to the politics of state-society relations. Students may use any citation format in their papers provided the instructor is clearly able to identify the sources used; however, many in political science generally use the Chicago Manual of Style (see chicagomanualofstyle/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-1.html). Papers will be evaluated based on clarity, prose, creativity, organization, and persuasiveness.

Papers are due on Tuesday, 14 April 2020 (week 13) during the class period. Please note that late papers will be penalized about a grade lower for each day that they are late (e., a one-day late A- paper will receive a B+ mark). Note that students will submit papers to LumiNUS (submission folder) to check for plagiarism.

Final Exam Students are required, lastly, to take a comprehensive final exam, which is scheduled for 30 April
The format of the exam will be an electronic (computer-based) essay. I will not authorize make-up exams unless students document an exceptional situation that required them to miss the scheduled exam. If you are experiencing or feel you may experience such an emergency, please contact me as soon as possible.

Grading: Grades will be determined as follows:

Participation 20 percent Oral presentation 10 percent Quiz 10 percent Short paper 30 percent Final exam 30 percent

Migdal, Joel. State in Society: Studying How States and Societies Transform and Constitute One Another. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001. Chapter 1 (eBook)

*Optional: Anderson, Benedict. "Frameworks of Comparison." London Review of Books 38, no 2 (2016): 15-18.

Week 3 (27-31 January): Ethno-national Identities and Majority/Minority Communities How and why do ethnic, religious and national identities evolve and change over time? Do identities shape state-society relations – and if so, how? Are ethnic-based politics increasingly important around the world?

Case study: What’s behind Thailand’s Buddhist-Muslim divide – and how does it speak to other issues of state-society relations in the region? scmp/week-asia/society/article/2139389/looking-within-whats-behind- thailands-buddhist-muslim-divide

Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities. London: Verso, 1983, Introduction

Liow, Joseph Chinyong, Religion and Nationalism in Southeast Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2016. Chapters 3 and 5 (eBook)

International Crisis Group. “Buddhism and State Power in Myanmar.” International Crisis Group Report, 2017.

Week 4 (3-7 February): Theoretical Foundations of Democracy and Transitions What are the foundations for democracy and dictatorship? Have these foundations changed over time? Are there regional or global forces pushing for greater participation? Is there a democratic backslide in recent years – and how could we measure or observe such backsliding?

Sidel, John T. “Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy Revisited: Colonial State and Chinese Immigrant in the Making of Modern Southeast Asia.” Comparative Politics 40 (2) January 2008: 127-147. (JSTOR)

Alagappa, Muthiah. ed. Civil Society and Political Change in Asia. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2004. Chapters 2 and 3

Acharya, Amitav. “Democratization and Prospects for Participatory Regionalism in Southeast Asia.” Third World Quarterly 24, no. 2 (2003): 375-390. (JSTOR)

Week 5 (10-14 February): Contentious Politics, Social Movements, and Advocacy Networks Despite the costs involved, how and why do transnational movements and networks emerge? How and why do local and transnational actors overcome collective-action problems to bring about reform and political change?

Case study: What do the recent protests in Hong Kong reveal about contentious politics, transnationalism, and identity-based politics in the larger context of state-society relations? edition.cnn/2019/11/15/asia/hong-kong-protests-explainer-intl-hnk-scli/index.html

Keck, Margaret E. and Kathryn Sikkink. Activists Beyond Borders: Advocacy Networks in International Politics. Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1998. Intro/Chapter 1

Tarrow, Sidney. Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Introduction and Chapter 1 (eBook)

Bertrand, Jacques. Political Change in Southeast Asia. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013. Chapter 1 (eBook)

*Optional: Wouters, Ruud and Stefaan Walgrave. “Demonstrating Power: How Protest Persuades Political Representatives,” American Sociological Review (April 2017). (JSTOR)

Week 6 (17-21 February): Patron-Client Relations, Money Politics, Parties and Elites How and why do patron-client relations shape state-society relations? What role do political parties and elites – especially oligarchs and monarchies – play in state-society relations? Despite global norms of anti-corruption spreading around the world, why do money and personal payoffs remain important in shaping politics? Note: In-class quiz

Ufen, Andreas. “Party Systems, Critical Junctures, and Cleavages in Southeast Asia.” Asian Survey 52, no. 3 (May/June 2012): 441-64. (JSTOR)

McCargo, Duncan. “Network Monarchy and Legitimacy Crises in Thailand.” The Pacific Review 18, no. 4 (December 2005): 499-519. (Taylor and Francis Online)

Weiss, Meredith. “Payoffs, Parties, or Policies: ‘Money Politics’ and Electoral Authoritarian Resilience,” Critical Asian Studies 48 no. 1 (January 2016):77-99. (Taylor and Francis Online)

RECESS WEEK

Part II. Examining Contemporary State-society Relations: Contestations and Compromises

Week 7 (2-6 March): Migration, Foreign Workers, and the Politics of Belonging How and why do states and societies attempt to govern migration flows – both forced and voluntary migration? What approaches exist for social integration of migrants by states?

Case study: What does the Rohingya situation reveal about identities and migration flows – as well as responses from states and non-state actors to govern these issues? cfr/backgrounder/rohingya-crisis

Week 10 (23-27 March): Human Rights and Humanitarianism How and why do both state and non-state actors violate or enforce human rights? Why do governments with poor human rights records establish national human rights institutions – and with what effect? Do human rights vary from country to country depending on state-society relations? What was the so-called “Asian values debate” and what are the arguments shaping it? Note: Prof. Kevin presents at Association for Asian Studies Conference in Boston; no class.

Hafner Burton, Emilie M. Making Human Rights A Reality. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2013. Chapter 10

Gardiner, Christie and Fernand de Varennes, eds. Routledge Handbook of Human Rights in Asia. New York: Routledge, 2018. Chapters 1 and 9

Chua, Lynette J. Mobilizing Gay Singapore: Rights and Resistance in an Authoritarian State. Singapore: NUS Press, 2014. Chapter 1

Sen, A. “Human Rights and Asian Values.” May 1997. carnegiecouncil/publications/archive/morgenthau/

Week 11 (30 March - 3 April): Environmental and Developmental Challenges How and why do various actors enable or challenge developmental projects – particularly those with environmental consequences? What are the local and global dimensions to resolving tensions surrounding such developmental projects? Why is the environment difficult to address?

Case Study: Under the Dome, a documentary film by Chinese journalist Chai Jing. Available to watch online with subtitles at: youtube/watch?v=T6X2uwlQGQM

Stokes, Leah, Amanda Giang, and Noelle Selin. “Splitting the South: Explaining China and India’s Divergence in International Environmental Negotiations,” Global Environmental Politics 16, no. 4 (2016): 12-31.

Sturgeon, Janet C. “Border Practices, Boundaries, and the Control of Resource Access: A Case from China, Thailand, and Burma,” Development and Change 35, no. 3 (2004): 463-484.

Gilley, Bruce. “Authoritarian Environmentalism and China’s Response to Climate Change.” Environmental Politics 21, no. 2 (2012): 287-307.

Week 12 (6-10 April): Social Media, Technology and Freedom of the Press How and why are social media and other technological developments posing both challenges and opportunities for states and non-states actors in addressing key issues areas (such as security, human rights, the environment, and migration)?

Weiss, Meredith, “New Media, New Activism: Trends and Trajectories in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia,” International Development Planning Review 36:1 (January 2014): 91-109.

Tapsell, Ross, “Combating Fake News in Southeast Asia,” ISEAS Perspective, November 2019 iseas.edu/images/pdf/ISEAS_Perspective_2019_100.pdf

Faulder, Dominic and Cliff Venzon. “Enemies of the State: Why the Press in Southeast Asia is Under Attack,” Nikkei Asian Review February 14, 2018. asia.nikkei/Spotlight/Cover-Story/Enemies-of-the-state-why-the-press-in-Southeast- Asia-is-under-attack

Week 13 (13-17 April): Review Note: Papers due

Final Exam: 30 April 2020

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Syllabus.State Society Relations

Course: State and Society (PS4224)

13 Documents

Students shared 13 documents in this course

University: National University of Singapore

Was this document helpful?

PS4224

PS4224: State and Society: State-Society Relations

Semester II, AY 2019-20

Seminar meets on Tuesdays from 3pm to 6pm in AS1-0302.

Instructor: Kevin McGahan

Office: AS1, level 4, room 34

Office Hours: By appointment

Email: polkm@nus.edu.sg

Description:

This honours-level seminar critically examines historical and theoretical issues of state-society

relations, such as state-formation processes, ethnic and national identities, social movements,

patron-client relations, and democratic-authoritarian transitions. This module also interrogates a

range of contemporary topics, including migration, security, human rights, environmental

degradation and social media. The class, furthermore, debates these issues from various

approaches that highlight different actors – including both states and non-state actors. While the

class is global in scope, it focuses on state-society relations in particular areas of the world by

employing comparisons. Empirically speaking, many class materials focus on countries in Asia,

broadly defined (e.g., China, India, Thailand, Burma/ Myanmar, Indonesia, the Philippines,

Malaysia, and Singapore). Nevertheless, students are encouraged to compare and contrast these

cases with historical ones or others outside the Asian context, as appropriate.

Goals:

By taking this seminar, students will learn and apply basic theories and concepts to examine

state-society relations in both a local and global context. Such concepts notably include the

nation/state, patron-client relations, ethnic, religious, and national identities, and social

movements. In addition, students will leave this module with critical thinking and

communication skills, as the class will challenge and discuss various assumptions about different

state-society relations around the world. Lastly, students will reflect upon and apply their

insights about the importance of such relations for both personal and academic development.

Requirements and Evaluation:

This class is based on an interactive process between the instructor and students. As such,

seminars are largely focused on student-driven discussions. To facilitate this process and ensure

active student participation, I will expect students to have completed the required readings before

the seminar meets.

Also, please note that if you have any documented disability, contact me immediately. I am

happy to accommodate students in maintaining an appropriate learning environment.

1. Participation

Students will be graded on their participation, which is premised on regular attendance and

interactions during seminars as well as weekly discussion questions. For their weekly questions,

at least 24 hours before each seminar meets, students must post on LumiNUS (under the student

submission folder) at least one question that critically engages central concepts and arguments

Syllabus.State Society Relations

State and Society (PS4224)

National University of Singapore

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PS4224: State and Society: State-Society Relations

RECESS WEEK

Syllabus.State Society Relations

Course: State and Society (PS4224)

University: National University of Singapore

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